# Drugs: Dose, Crash, and Habit *The Apothecary, Poisons, Drugs, and Chemical Agents for Exodus NDS. Source: https://exodusnds.com/sourcebooks/the-apothecary/drugs-dose-crash-and-habit* A drug is a substance a character takes on purpose. This chapter covers taking one, what it costs, and the optional rule for habit. ## Taking a Dose Swallowing, injecting, or inhaling a dose that is ready to hand is a **maneuver**. Giving a dose to a willing or helpless character who is Engaged is a maneuver. Forcing one on an unwilling character is an attack: see Chapter 14. After the **Onset** the user gains the **Benefit** and suffers the **Side effect**. Both last for the time under **Lasts**. When that time ends the user suffers the **Crash**. A second dose taken while the first is working does not double the Benefit. It restarts the time and counts toward the Limit. Strain and Wounds from a Crash or an Overdose are not reduced by Resistance. ## The Limit and Overdose **Limit** is the number of doses a character can take between full nights of rest. Each dose beyond the Limit works normally and also forces an **Overdose check**: a Fortitude check against the drug's Potency, adding 1 Bane Die for each dose already taken beyond the Limit. On a failure the user suffers the **Overdose** row. Where an Overdose row describes repeated checks and a sleep ("4 Strain each 10 minutes for 4 checks; sleep 4 hours"), run it as a sedative poison from Chapter 3 with the drug's Potency. If the row says **Lethal**, it is. An entry with no Overdose row has no worse consequence than its Crash twice. ## Mixing | The user takes | Result | |:--|:--| | Two stimulants at once | The second counts as a dose beyond the Limit | | Two sedatives at once | The second counts as a dose beyond the Limit, and its Overdose is Lethal | | A stimulant and a sedative | Neither Benefit applies. Both Side effects and both Crashes do | Strong Drink is a sedative. ## Given in Secret A character given a drug without knowing gets its Benefit, Side effect, and Crash like anyone else, unless the entry has an **Unwilling** row. Drugs meant to knock someone out are written as poisons, with a Course and a Sleep row. ## Habit (Optional) Some drugs carry the tag **Habit X**. This rule is optional. Agree before play whether the group uses it. ### The Habit Check At the end of any session in which a character took a Habit drug, the player makes a **Habit check against difficulty X**: Habit 1 is Easy, Habit 4 is Severe. **A Habit check is a matter of will.** A Universe with a Discipline or Resolve skill uses it. Otherwise roll the Fortitude skill with **Willpower** in place of Might. The body's part is the Overdose check, which stays an ordinary Fortitude check. | Circumstance | Dice | |:--|:--| | Each dose after the first that session | Add 1 Bane Die | | Every dose was given by a healer to treat an injury | Add 2 Boon Dice | | The character is already Tolerant | Add 1 Bane Die | On a failure the character moves one stage along, for that drug only. ### The Three Stages | Stage | Effect | |:--|:--| | **Clear** | No effect | | **Tolerant** | One dose does nothing. The character needs two doses for the Benefit, and both count toward the Limit | | **Dependent** | As Tolerant. After a full day without the drug the character is in **Withdrawal** | **Withdrawal.** Add 1 Bane Die to all checks, and reduce the character's Strain Points by the drug's Habit rating. Withdrawal ends when the character takes a dose, or gets clear. A Dependent character makes no further Habit checks for that drug. ### Getting Clear At the end of each week without a dose, the character makes a Habit check against the Habit rating. | Circumstance | Dice | |:--|:--| | Under a healer's care for the week | Add 2 Boon Dice | | The drug was within reach during the week | Add 1 Bane Die | On a success the character moves back one stage, and Withdrawal ends. On a failure nothing changes and the character may try again after another week. ### At the Table **The player decides what the character does.** Withdrawal is a penalty, not a compulsion. No result on a Habit check makes a character steal, lie, or take a dose. **The GM does not hand out Habit drugs to create a problem.** A Morphine dose given by a field surgeon carries 2 Boon Dice on the check for this reason. **Adversaries** do not roll. A Dependent adversary is one the GM has decided is Dependent. Offering that adversary the drug adds 2 Boon Dice to a Negotiation check, and withholding it adds 2 Boon Dice to an Intimidation check. The back room